The invention relates to a process for the preparation of fumaric acid monoesters from maleic anhydride.
It is known that fumaric acid monoalkyl esters are obtained by partially esterifying fumaric acid with alcohols (Chem. Ber. 30, 2651 (1897)). Further known routes of preparation are the partial hydrolysis of fumaric acid diesters and the cis-trans re-arrangement of maleic acid monoesters (German Patent Specification No. 1,291,739 and German Offenlegungsschrift 2,130,300).